Just Come Home
by Invader Zanna
Summary: Dib's gone. But this time, Zim knows exactly where he is.
1. Chapter 1

A small, soft tapping noise echoed in the empty room. No one moved. There was no one to move. The tapping noise started up again a little louder this time. All it did was unsettle a small layer of dust over the window that the noise was coming from.

A long period of silence stretched out until a sudden bam on the window caused a crack and a flurry of dust. Again _bam_ and again _bam_, until the glass had shattered. A small, gloved hand slid inside the empty room, brushing aside bits of glass.

It reached around, waving blindly in the dark. It hovered over a bed. Reaching around it knocked over pillows and a pair of glasses. Before the glasses could hit the ground they were snatched up by the hand, gingerly as not to break them.

Satisfied, the hand retreaded back through the broken window, and disappeared into the night.

* * *

><p>"Gir I'm going out today, so stay in the house." Zim glared over his shoulder at Gir, his tiny robot servant who was, at the moment, eating a squid toy. Zim glared at him but walked out the door, quietly making his way down the street.<p>

After a few minutes he stopped at a house. He peered up at the door, still debating whether or not to open it. Glancing around he twisted the knob and let himself in. The only noise in the house comes from the living room, where a girl is playing a video game. Gaz.

Zim stood there awkwardly for a moment. Had she heard him come in? He inched a little further into the house, closing the door behind him. This time Gaz paused and looked up.

"Hey Zim."

"Hello Gaz. Erm..."

"He's not here."

"What?"

"He's not here Zim! I know why you came over here but he's still not back." the fierceness of her voice startled Zim a bit.

They both fell silent.

"You'd know if he was back." she continued her game. "Thanks for the broken window by the way."

"Eh?"

"Never mind. Just get out."

Zim blinked. Turned around. And left.

* * *

><p>His walk home was slower this time, he let his feet drag behind him. It wasn't fair. That's what he told himself. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.<p>

The golden shimmer of sunset cast a long shadow of Zim. He slowly stopped. Looked up. Saw one tiny star in the sky.

'Stupid worm baby.' he thought. 'Come back. Come back so I can kill you.'

After a while he started back home. It wasn't fair, he repeated. Over and over.

* * *

><p>Gaz waited until she saw Zim turn around a corner. Throwing her game down she spun around and ran up the stairs. Turning left she passed her room and burst into her brother's. Into Dib's.<p>

At first she just stood there. watching the dust swirl around and land back on the blank computers. Stood as her shadow fell across the photos strewn on the ground. Then slowly, slowly, the tears started to fall.

'I might've stopped him.' she thought. Gaz was sitting on his bed, after brushing aside bits of glass. Stupid Zim.

'He always talked about it. Always said he would do it.' Gaz rubbed at her eyes. 'I just never thought he was smart enough to do it. And then he just left, left without a word. Nothing. He was just gone the next day, Tak's ship too.' Gaz fought down the tears.

"He just left me here, alone!" She cried aloud suddenly, "Alone without anyone!" Dad had seemed a little worried but promised Dib would be back soon. And then he also left. Why did everyone leave?

Gaz laid down, trying to find the smell of Dib under all the dust. Coffee. He always smelled like coffee because he stayed up all night, every night. Because he wanted to prove himself. Because he was a moron.

Gaz missed her moron.


	2. Chapter 2

Zim stared blankly at the computer screen. Staring back at him were two pairs of eyes. One purple, one red. They glanced at each other, not sure what to do about the tiny Irken in front of them. Eventually, Zim just reached up and flicked the off switch. It wasn't fair. How could he just…leave? Just like that.

Zim glanced over at a scrap of paper. He reached over and grabbed it, holding the familiar item in his claws. He had scanned this note over and over. But it did not change anything. Quietly, he read the first line again.

_'Dear Zim, I don't have much time. The ship is ready and I must hurry or else it will be too late. Listen closely-'_

Zim folded it up and put it back. No. Why should Zim help you? All you did was hurt Zim. All you did was force your way in. Why should Zim help? Why?

It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair…

Zim turned around and jumped off his chair. He walked into the elevator and waited until he was back in the kitchen. Slowly he scanned the room, the empty, quiet room. Zim stepped onto the floor, went into the living room, and glanced at the blank tv. Zim shook his head. How could he miss the shrieking sounds that used to come from this room? He didn't.

Zim walked out onto the sidewalk and nervously started down the street.

* * *

><p>Gaz had beaten her game four hundred and sixty-one times. Sixty-two. Gaz tossed her game onto the couch and sat under a window. She watched a couple of birds fly over to a fence and start preening themselves. Back and forth, over their feathers, under their wings.<p>

Gaz's eyes started to droop. She hadn't slept last night. She hadn't been able to. Gaz was turning to go when something startled the birds. "Filthy earth-vermin! Stay out of my way!" Gaz spun around just in time to see a flash of green turning the corner.

Gaz considered what to do. What was Zim doing up this early? Well Zim was very weird. Was he trying to take over the world again? Should she stop him? Gaz shook her head. No. She wasn't a stalker like her brother. She would wait here. Alone.

* * *

><p>Zim quietly made his way up a hill on the outskirts of the city. It was remote, and high off the ground. It was perfect. Zim sat down at the very top of the hill and pulled out a small, rectangular device. It had three buttons and a knob.<p>

Zim turned the knob a few times and pressed the buttons in a complex order. He carefully watched the sky, waiting.

A while passed.

Zim glared at the sky. "Come on…you can do it with your freakish head…"

Finally a tiny glow appeared from behind a few clouds. It grew larger and larger until it crashed into the ground right from of Zim. It was a package. Zim glanced around, made sure no one was watching, grabbed up the package and ran.


	3. Chapter 3

A pitter patter of rain started to fall outside. It turned into a misty spray, gently soaking everything and replenishing it. There was only one who did not enjoy the cooling sensation. A dark figure making it's way through the town. Anyone who looked closely at them would notice they were leaving a trail of white goo behind them. If anyone cared enough they would find the goo to be something like paste. But no one ever paid any attention to the figure.

It's footsteps made tiny clicking noises as it walked down the wet pavement. It would find what it needed. Soon. Very soon. Ah, there it was. It looked up at a building labeled 'Skool'. The dreaded skool. Good thing it was a weekend and the earth brats were already home. This was going to take a while.

* * *

><p>Zim stared at the items in front of him. To his left there was a small note, torn in a few places and burned slightly. In front of him was a longer note more detailed and preserved. It was titled "I'm Sorry." Zim sneered. Sure. Let him spout his stupid lies of filth from his stupid mouth. Or hands. Or...whatever!<p>

Zim frowned and turned to the last item to his right. It was a capsule with an address on it. Zim recognized it as a form of Irken shipping. He looked again to the tiny note. 'Find it.' it said, 'Find it it's on my bed I left it there give it to me.' It was scrawled quickly and messily and part of it was smudged.

Zim held up a pair of circular lenses. They were held together with wire and were meant to go over one's face. Stupid humans. They couldn't even make safe and reliable laser eye surgeries.

Zim grasped the pair of glasses in his claws. Should he do it? Should he give him the satisfaction? Send the message that Zim will do what ever he commands of him? Zim snarled "Never! Zim will never be told what to do!"

But there he was. Zim opened the capsule and carefully stuck the glasses in. Then he pulled out his own piece of paper and scrawled angrily 'You better need these badly or else Zim will come find you in his cruiser and shoot you! Do you know the trouble it was to get these? Do you? And one more thing.' Zim paused. 'I want him back. I know you have him and maybe i don't really need him but he is still Zim's you hear? Give back what you stole from Zim.'

Zim made sure everything fit ok before pressing the 'send' button and watched it fly away, out his window. Zim sat there. Then he took out the first letter that was given to him and read it again.

'Dear Zim, I don't have much time. The ship is ready and I must hurry or else it will be too late. Listen closely. They're coming and I still haven't found my glasses. I know you Irkens don't need them but you promised. I think i know where they are. Shit Zim I need to go. I still haven't finished my note to Gaz, so I'll send it later. Here's what you have to do-"

* * *

><p>Gaz clenched the papper in her hands. 'I'm Sorry.' Leaping off the couch she ran outside and madly looked for someone. Down the street, in the air. Gaz slammed the door so hard a few pictures fell from the wall. Gaz stormed back to the couch and sat down. She tried to still her shaking hands so she could read it.<p>

'I'm Sorry.'

'I really really am. I would never do this if i didn't think it was important. You wouldn't understand. I know dad won't notice I'm gone but can you cover for me in case he does? Thanks Gaz. I know you must be wondering where I am but just trust me on this. I might be gone for a long time, but i promise you I'll be back. Not that it's much difference to you. Hope I can write again to you soon.'

Gaz's hands clenched so hard the paper started to tear. She bent forward, her body shaking. Then she slowly lifted her head back, and screamed.

It echoed relentlessly through the empty house, sending a vibrating sensation everything.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? YOU FUCKING MORON! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?" she couldn't stop the tears as they started rolling down her cheeks. "DIB I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO MUCH!" her screams died down into little hiccupy cries.

"You-you bastard...how could you blow me o-off like this?" she tried to look at it again through bleary eyes. "C-cover for you? How could you...you bitch...you, you bastard!" she covered her face with her hands and let herself be swept away with rage and sorrow.

Sometime she must have riped up the paper because when she came to her senses, she found bits of it all around her. She felt that tired, relaxed feeling you get after you cry a lot. But she wouldn't let it mess up her thoughts.

She got up, slowly put on her rain jacket and went outside. Zim had some explaining to do.


End file.
